AIM: To analyse current trends in our population with respect to the presentation, diagnosis and management of tubercular and chronic pyogenic osteomyelitis of the cranio-facial bones. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary healthcare centre. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study population comprised 14 patients with tubercular and chronic pyogenic osteomyelitis who were managed in the otorhinolaryngology department between May 2002 and December 2005. RESULTS: Odontogenic infections, sinus infections and aural infections were the most commonly identified aetiological factors. Most of the patients presented with swelling, pain and discharging sinus. The diagnosis was established on the basis of clinical evaluation, radiological investigations and histopathological analysis, with six cases diagnosed with tubercular osteomyelitis and eight cases with chronic pyogenic osteomyelitis. All the patients were initially commenced on oral antibiotics, which were continued for two weeks in all cases with chronicpyogenic osteomyelitis. All the patients with pyogenic osteomyelitis underwent surgical management, with one patient requiring repeated surgical interventions. All the patients with tubercular osteomyelitis received anti-tubercular chemotherapy, with complete cure. CONCLUSIONS: Osteomyelitis of the cranio-facial bones is an uncommon entity which requires a high index of clinical suspicion along with radiological and histopathological investigations in order to establish the diagnosis. Tubercular osteomyelitis is clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from pyogenic osteomyelitis, and the two conditions can be differentiated only on the basis of histopathological evaluation of involved tissue.
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